City of Strategy Taking Stock: Phase 1 Findings

August 2020 Facilities Master Plan

The Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan (2019 – 2038) is a 20-year plan approved by Council in 2017 for new and enhanced recreation facilities to meet the needs of our changing city. The Plan measured service levels by calculating the provision of recreation assets on a per capita basis. Analysis found that the per capita supply of City-owned curling sheets in Toronto is in line with or exceeds the benchmark for large GTA and Canadian cities, and this supply is augmented by privately owned facilities. Based on this analysis, no new curling facilities were recommended.

2 Council Direction

Since the Facilities Master Plan was City Council directed approved, closures of three privately staff to: owned curling facilities, including two in "Monitor and assess trends and Toronto's west end, have altered the participation in curling including context of curling in the city. considering the capacity of existing private and public curling facilities, opportunities to make In October 2019, as part of approval of interest in curling broader and more inclusive and to consult with the Facilities Master Plan relevant stakeholders on potential Implementation Strategy, City Council opportunities and report back in directed staff to assess trends and the fourth quarter of 2020." participation in curling.

3 Project Timeline and Phases of Work

Phase 1: Phase 2: Taking Stock Identifying Opportunities Reporting out Assess supply of and Review existing City ice Final recommendations demand for curling ice facilities, provision relating to facilities, in Toronto. models for curling ice, financial models and and sport development programming. Identify gaps and opportunities. opportunities. Develop cost estimates and funding options. Staff Report to Council Q1_Q2 2020 Q2_Q3 2020 Q4 TBC

4 Phase 1 Information Gathering

Information to inform Phase 1 analysis was gathered in several ways:

• We conducted interviews with representatives from Toronto curling facilities based on a standard questionnaire about facility use and condition, ice utilization and sport development.

• We undertook additional interviews with representatives from recently-closed curling facilities, facilities outside Toronto, high school curling coaches, and programming and facility experts.

• We analyzed data from sources including Toronto curling facilities, CurlON and to explore questions such as how many people curl and how curling facilities are used and accessed.

• We reviewed comments provided by Torontonians through the dedicated project website.

• We tested our findings with a Stakeholder Reference Group including Curling Canada, CurlON, the Toronto Curling Association, the West End Curling Committee and experts in sport development, accessibility and inclusion.

5 Context for Curling

6 Curling in Toronto by the Numbers

8/51 6,000 7 to 100 curling estimated members age range of facilities/sheets in in curling clubs and participants Toronto leagues 128 $25 high school typical cost to try curling teams curling one time

7 Curling Facilities in Toronto

8 Types of Toronto Curling Facilities

Curling-Focused (33 sheets) Full-Service Athletic Clubs (18 sheets)

Tam Heather Curling & Tennis Club Granite Club 8 (City-owned, run by community group) 8 8 Leaside Curling Club 6 Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club (City-owned, run by community group) 6 East York Curling Club 4 Donalda Club (City-owned, run by City staff + community group) 6 Royal Canadian Curling Club 5 High Park Club

Operating model focuses on maximizing ice use (main Operating model focuses on availability of ice for revenue stream). All facilities operate at/over capacity. member use. Ice is not generally available to the public. Ice is primarily used by members and seasonal or Significant initiation fees and/or waiting lists are typical. occasional rentals. Typical member cost is $400-$600 to Some community ice use (e.g. school curling) when not in curl one night per week, less for youth and seniors/daytime use by members. leagues. Some community use, e.g. school curling.

88 = sheets of curling ice 9 Recently Closed Facilities Golf & Country Club Model for Curling The three recently-closed curling facilities in Facilities

Toronto operated within Golf and Country Clubs. • Popular model across Canada • St George's Golf & Country Club (6 sheets) closed in spring 2020. • Year-round facilities shared by golfers, curlers and social • Weston Golf & Country Club (6 sheets) and Scarboro Golf & members, often with limited Country Club (6 sheets) closed in 2018. overlap • Golfers typically pay higher fees Although the specific circumstances differ, each closure related to a and have a greater role in decision to prioritize golf-related activities. governance • Cost of curling is typically higher The principle reason behind the closures was not lack of demand than at a curling-focused facility or potential revenue related to curling. • In addition to use by members, ice may be available for rental by outside groups, schools, etc.

10 How do people participate in curling in Toronto?

As members of curling clubs that operate at curling facilities. Roughly 4200 people are members at Toronto curling clubs.

As part of leagues or groups that rent ice from curling facilities. Roughly 1800 people are members of seasonal leagues (20+ weeks). Participation fees range from $300-$400. Others curl through organized for-profit sports organizations at a cost of roughly $25/person for 2 hours. Individuals or teams can sign up for fall or winter sessions (roughly 10 weeks).

At school. Toronto has roughly 128 high school curling teams plus elementary school, college and university programs. Most curling facilities offer ice to school and university/college teams for practice and competition at low or no cost.

Through sport development programs. Many Toronto curling facilities offer Try Curling events, Learn to Curl courses and other programs for new curlers. Costs are often subsidized and in some cases participants can apply fees to the cost of becoming a club member.

Through family, social and corporate events (one-time or occasional participation). It costs roughly $200 ($25/person) to rent a sheet of ice for 2 hours with an instructor.

11 What are Torontonians saying about curling?

“Curling is a core Canadian sport, healthy for all ages, and a good winter activity”

“As a senior curler for only 3 years, I find it healthy, competitive and fun for those long winter months”

“Participants can be almost any age, costs are minimal and it is very social”

“We have produced many elite Olympic athletes from our Toronto clubs”

“I’m perplexed that finding a place to participate in this Canadian sport would be so difficult”

“Our students took Toronto pins to give away at the OFSAA high school curling championship in Fort Frances. The kids felt great about representing Toronto. Sometimes curling is not considered as big a thing in Toronto as in other places, but we are here to represent the city and show how friendly Torontonians can be.”

“My son’s high school will no longer be able to have a curling program because there is no available ice”

12 Statements are based on public and stakeholder comments, quoted or paraphrased to convey common themes. Supply of Curling Ice

13 Toronto’s Supply of Curling Ice

Toronto has 51 sheets of curling ice in eight facilities. The supply of curling ice differs across the city.

• With the closure of curling facilities at St George's in 2020 and Weston in 2018, there is no curling ice available in Etobicoke York.

• North York's supply is the highest in the city with 26 sheets, however 18 sheets are within full-service athletic clubs and are not generally accessible to the public.

• Overall, Toronto and East York has the highest supply of publicly accessible curling ice, with 17 sheets available in curling-focused facilities including one city-owned facility.

• The closure of curling operations at Scarboro Golf & Country Club in 2018 reduced Scarborough's supply of curling ice to 8 sheets.

14 Per Capita Supply of Curling Ice

With the recent closure of 3 privately owned curling facilities, 2 in the west end, the amount of curling ice per person has decreased since 2017. The supply of City-owned curling ice remains unchanged.

*Per capita provision expresses population per sheet of curling ice. Rates were calculated using estimated population data (2.87M) from the approved Facilities Master Plan.

15 How Much is Curling Ice Used in Toronto?

How is ice utilization Full-Service Athletic Clubs Curling-Focused Facilities calculated? • Fewer than 65 members Operating At Capacity Operating Over Capacity A typical measure of ice per sheet • Between 65 and 125 • More than 125 members utilization is members per • Operating model focuses members per sheet per sheet sheet. The benchmark for on availability of ice for • More than 23 bookings • More than 27 bookings good ice utilization is 100 to members rather than per sheet per week per sheet per week 125 members per sheet. This high utilization does not account for use by • Waiting lists for most • All leagues are full non-members which is • Includes: leagues significant at some facilities. • Includes: • Granite Club • Includes: • Leaside Curling Club To account for non-member • Toronto Cricket, use, City staff estimated • Royal Canadian • High Park Club weekly ice bookings per Skating & Curling Curling Club Club sheet base on information • Tam Heather Curling from curling facilities. This • Donalda Club includes member use and & Tennis Club seasonal/occasional rentals. • East York Curling Club

16 Accessibility of Curling Ice

Toronto curling facilities support participants with a wide range of physical abilities: • Most facilities have either full or partial accessibility for wheelchair curlers through a combination of elevator, ramp and lift installations. Toronto facilities also host competitive wheelchair curling teams and competitions. • Equipment such as sticks, stabilizers to improve balance, and lighter rocks for children is available to adapt curling for a broader range of participants.

Transit accessibility has been identified as an important factor for participation for many, including blind curlers, Special Olympics athletes, youth, and individuals with lower income. • No curling facilities are within a 5-min walk of a TTC subway stop, • 5 curling facilities are located within a 5-min walking distance of a key TTC streetcar or bus route (High Park Club, Tam Heather Curling & Tennis Club, Royal Canadian Curling Club, Donalda Club, Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club).

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most participants drive to curling facilities. • Based on a subset of curling facilities, most members (63%) live within a 15-min drive of the facility.

17 Curling Facilities Outside of Toronto

A number of privately owned curling facilities located outside the city serve Toronto residents.

• Almost 40 per cent of the roughly 700 members at Dixie Curling Club (Mississauga) are Toronto residents. Up to 100 of these members came from Weston when it closed in 2018. Dixie is operating close to full capacity.

• Significant numbers of Toronto curlers use facilities located just north of the City: Bayview Golf & Country Club (Steeles Ave E and Leslie St) and The Thornhill Club (Yonge St and Centre St).

• In the past, Scarborough was served by the Annandale Golf & Curling Club in Ajax, which closed curling operations in spring 2020.

18 Longevity of Curling Facilities

Curling operations in Toronto are generally healthy. The financial state of curling facilities was described by facility representatives as "fair" to "good", and "the same" or "better than" five years ago. Membership and revenue are stable or growing.

Broadly speaking, facilities are aging. Across Ontario and Canada many facilities have experienced catastrophic equipment failure that has temporarily or permanently shut down curling operations. Repairs to ice plants can cost $250,000 or more. In some cases, the age and condition of curling facilities makes it difficult to access financing.

The risks associated with potential equipment failure vary depending on the facility and its operating model.

19 Curling Participation and Demand

20 National Curling Trends 5-year trends in Curling The Facilities Master Plan found that overall the demand for Participation (Canada-wide) curling is stable following significant declines in recent years.

Over the past 5 years there was a 31% increase in participation Canada-wide including increases at all levels of participation.

The top age groups for curling are 35-49 (24%) and 50-64 (24%).

The Facilities Master Plan found that 87% of curlers identify their ethnicity as white. Curling Canada reports that 79% were born in Canada and 72% speak English most often at home.

Roughly 57% of curlers are male, down from 64% in 2015.

Curlers have slightly above average income and education.

Based on data from Curling Canada, “Profile of the Canadian Curler”, 2015 and 2019. Prepared by Luke R. Potwarka, Ph.D. Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, and Austin W. Wilson, Ph.D, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo. 21 Toronto Curling Trends

• An estimated 37,000 Torontonians curled at least once last year based on Curling Canada’s general participation rates for large urban centres across Canada. • Membership at curling facilities is stable or growing. For example, membership across Toronto's three City- owned facilities has grown roughly 12% over five years. • The ratio of male to female curlers ranges from 60-40 to 50-50. This is slightly more equal than the national result (roughly 57% male). • Programs for Little Rocks (under 12) and Juniors are growing and participation is often capped based on available ice time and volunteers. • The most popular and fastest-growing curling leagues are mixed or open leagues (combination of male and female curlers). • Many respondents noted the important social role of curling, especially for seniors and others who may be isolated during winter months.

22 Participation by Equity-Seeking Groups

There are many examples of curling programs for members of The City of Toronto equity-seeking groups in Toronto, and there is demand for more: defines equity-  The Toronto Blind Curling Club has over 25 members, including low vision, blind seeking groups as: and blind-deaf players plus coaches and volunteers, and wishes to expand. • Aboriginal Peoples  The Riverdale and Rotators Leagues are the largest and oldest LGBTQ2S curling leagues in Canada with over 400 members. • Women  Recent growth in “stick curling”, an adaptation to avoid bending, has broadened • Racialized Group(s) participation by seniors and those with physical limitations. • LGBTQ2S Communities  Several Toronto curling facilities have wheelchair participants. • Persons with Disabilities  Over 165 children aged 7-12 participated in Little Rocks curling programs. The • Youth Toronto Curling Association Juniors Interclub program has over 30 teams. • Immigrants & Refugees  Approximately 500 students from over 40 schools participate in high school • Persons with Low Income curling through Toronto’s Public, Catholic, and Independent school leagues. • Undocumented Individuals  A Special Olympics curling program with 35 participants ended due to lack of • Other vulnerable groups ice. Demand is growing and it is estimated that Toronto could support two Special Olympics programs.

23 Participation by Equity-Seeking Groups

Consistent with national data, Toronto curling facilities report that the ethnicity of most members is white. Outside member-based curling clubs and leagues in Toronto, for example among high school curlers and Try Curling programs, there is evidence of more diverse participation. Increasing participation by racialized groups is an area of focus for national and provincial curling organizations.

24 Demand Arising from Recent Facility Closures

A conservative estimate of the demand arising from the recent closure of curling facilities in Toronto is 625 curlers (550 in the west end).*

The recent closure of two curling facilities in Etobicoke York caused a number of programming gaps:

 Six high school curling programs (approximately 100 students) have lost access to curling ice. St George’s was a major centre for high school curling, providing free ice and low-cost instruction to students and also frequently hosting tournaments for schools in Etobicoke York and across the city.

 The University of Toronto program lost practice ice due to the closure of St George’s.

 A Special Olympics curling program serving 35 participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their helpers ended due to the closure of Weston. Roughly 20 of these athlete are no longer curling.

*Participation data from both closed and active curling facilities was used to estimate the number of regular curlers (members and leagues) that were displaced by facility closures and that have not relocated to other facilities. This estimate does not include occasional curlers. 25 Gap Analysis

Gap Analysis

26 Gap Analysis 1

 Two of the three privately owned curling facilities that recently closed in Toronto were in the west end.  The estimated demand arising from these closures is 625 curlers in 1 Toronto, 550 of which are in Etobicoke York.  There is no curling ice in Etobicoke York. The closest facilities are High The recent closure of Park Club and Dixie Curling Club (Mississauga), both of which are 3 privately owned curling facilities operating at or over capacity with little ability to serve this demand. decreased Toronto’s  Publicly accessible curling facilities across Toronto are operating at or supply of curling ice and created a near capacity. Curling ice in full-member athletic clubs is less busy but geographic gap in is not generally available to the public. provision in  The supply of City-owned curling ice has not changed and remains Etobicoke York. consistent with benchmarks from other jurisdictions.

27 Gap Analysis 2

 Curlers in Toronto range in age from 7 to over 100.  Specialized and adapted programming offered in Toronto includes children's and youth curling, a curling league, LGBTQ2S curling 2 leagues, and stick and wheelchair curling. There is additional demand for these programs but availability is limited by ice access. Curling serves a wide range of ages and  Some programs for equity-seeking groups, for example several high abilities. There is school and university programs and a Special Olympics program, have additional demand ended or are at risk of ending due to recent facility closures. for specialized, adapted and  Transit accessibility and wheelchair accessibility are important factors subsidized for participation. programming.

28 Gap Analysis 3

 Toronto's curling ice is mostly used by members of clubs and leagues, making it harder to access by casual curlers or those new to the sport.  There is opportunity for more diverse participation. Most members of curling facilities identify their ethnicity as white. 3  All of Toronto's curling facilities offer programs for new curlers. These programs are popular and successful, but are limited by the high demand for The delivery model ice. Participants often have trouble finding a place to curl following for curling in Toronto completion of programs. presents a barrier to broader  The high demand for curling ice means there is little need for curling facilities participation. to invest in marketing and outreach, which may contribute to less awareness of the sport among residents, especially newcomers.  When these barriers are removed, there is evidence of interest in curling among new curlers and a more diverse group of participants.

29 Summary of Phase 1 Findings

1. There is unmet demand for 3. The delivery model for 2. Curling serves a wide range curling ice in Toronto, curling in Toronto presents a of ages and abilities. especially in the west end. barrier to broader participation.

• Toronto's supply of City-owned • Curlers in Toronto range in • Most curling ice is used by curling ice has not changed and age from 7 to over 100. members of clubs and is in line with other jurisdictions. • Specialized programs include established leagues. • The recent closure of 3 privately youth curling, a blind curling • Many curling facilities offer owned curling facilities, 2 in the league, LGBTQ2S curling programs for new curlers but west end, decreased the overall leagues and wheelchair and supply of curling ice. Demand stick curling. these are limited by the high demand for ice. is stable or growing. • Programming is limited by a • There is no curling ice in available ice, especially transit • When these barriers are Etobicoke York, demonstrated and wheelchair accessible ice. removed, there is evidence of demand, and little or no • Recent facility closures have interest among new capacity at nearby facilities to caused some programs such participants and a more meet this demand. as Special Olympics curling diverse group of participants. and high school teams to end.

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